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Round 1 – Bouscal gets a quick takedown and snakes around to Mendoza’s
back. Bouscal switches to a Gable grip and attempts to finish, but
Mendoza fights his way out of it and reverses position for a big
ovation. He immediately postures up and throws a flurry of punches.
Bouscal kicks him off and rights himself, but Mendoza gets the fight
down quickly and works his way to Bouscal’s back. Bouscal rights
himself and throws a few knees to Mendoza’s dome. Mendoza plants a knee
to prevent further damage, and scrambles back to his feet. This time,
it’s Bouscal with the takedown, and Mendoza is on the bottom defending
punches from his guard. Bouscal postures up and throws a few more
shots, but Mendoza ties it up. MMAjunkie.com scores the round 10-9 for
Bouscal.

Round 2 – Bouscal lands some heavy punches to lead the round and Mendoza
tumbles to the mat. But he’s got a plan; he works for a leglock that
forces Bouscal to reset. Bouscal escapes and throws a shot that
temporarily puts Mendoza out; thankfully for him, the referee and
Bouscal didn’t seem to catch it. Bouscal is working punches from up top
and trying to pass guard. He gets to side control as Mendoza tries to
escape the bad position. Bouscal is all over him, though, and gets
knee-on-belly position. Bouscal maneuvers for mount position and then
hops off to grab an arm triangle that forces a tapout from Mendoza. Jess Bouscal def. Luis Mendoza via submission (arm triangle
choke) – Round 2, 3:00

RON KESLAR VS. JOSH MCDONALD

Round 1 – Keslar throws a flurry of punches but gets nothing. McDonald
shoots in and pays for it with a flurry of punches and knees. Action
stalls against the cage, and Keslar breaks off with some knees from the
clinch. McDonald leads with an overhand right and immediately shoots
for a takedown. Kessler isn’t having it, though, and again makes
McDonald pay with some knees in the clinch before they break off.
McDonald with a kick to the body. McDonald with a few nice leg kicks to
punctuate a lackluster few moments. Keslar lands a nice knee after an
exchange and the two drift to the cage. McDonald wants it down again,
but Keslar’s takedown defense is too good. McDonald gets fancy with a
spinning backlist at range. They’re staring at each other in the open
and waiting for each other. McDonald closes and nearly eats a big knee.
With ten seconds to go, they’re staring at each other and do so until
the round ends. MMAjunkie.com scores the round 10-9 for Ron Keslar for
striking dominance.

Round 2 – Keslar leads with a few combos, but nothing is landing.
McDonald repays with a leg kick. McDonald ducks under a punch, and
Keslar successfully defends the takedown. McDonald with a glancing
overhand right. They lock up again, and Keslar is controlling the
clinch with hard knees. McDonald lunges with a few jabs and nearly gets
his head taken off with a high kick. Keslar storms in, and they’re
locked in the clinch once again exchanging knees. Keslar is having his
way with MacDonald when it comes to strength, but McDonald is
soldiering on. They break off, and again, they’re both waiting for each
other to do something. McDonald is more busy for now, but when he
closes distance, he gets a flurry of punches from Keslar. They’re not
really landing, but he’s getting the message. Finally, Keslar
overcommits to a combination, and McDonald has got the fight down. He
doesn’t have enough time, though, and the round ends with him working
from Keslar’s guard. MMAjunkie.com scores the round 10-9 for Keslar,
again for striking dominance.

Round 3 – MacDonald counters Keslar’s punches with a good leg kick.
Keslar is headhunting with a straight right but hitting air. MacDonald
lands a nice jab and leg kick combo. Keslar storms forward with punches
but MacDonald avoids. Action coming in fits in starts with never more
than two punches or kicks thrown. It seems both men have tired from the
first two rounds. Keslar diligently working one-twos, but they’re not
landing clean. He’s pressing forward nonetheless. MacDonald misses a
high kick but lands a nice jab. McDonald pays for a lazy shot by eating
an uppercut. McDonald presses forward as round comes to and end, but
bout ends on a sour note. MMAjunkie.com scores the round 10-9 for
McDonald, but scores the bout 29-28 for Keslar. Judges disagree and
award McDonald the victory by unanimous scores of 29-28. Josh McDonald def. Ron Keslar via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)

DAVID MARSHALL VS. JAMES TERRY

Round 1 – Terry catches Marshall with a one-two and hard leg kick. Marshall is tagging Terry with a one-two, but Terry is coming back with his own combinations and a leg kick to end it. He lands a superman punch as the round comes to an end. Terry goes headhunting with a kick as the round comes to and end. MMAjunkie.com scores the round 10-9 for Terry.

Round 2 – Marshall immediately looks to tie the action up as the round gets underway. Terry escapes and gets popped with a leg kick. Marshall returns the favor, and presses forward with a jab. Hard leg kick lands for Marshall. Terry returns with a solid combination. Marshall pushes back with his old punches and almost lands a knee in close. Terry jabs up at Marshall and then goes to the body. Terry misses to the head, but lands a shot to the body. Marshall with a lead hook, and it looks like an eye was grazed. Terry turns up the pace with one-twos and leg kicks, which prompts Marshall to take a lazy shot. No dice, and Terry keeps the pressure on with winging right hands. Although he’s firing upward at his taller opponent, Terry is busier and is landing the harder shots. Marshall’s nose is bloodied, and he appears to be slowing. Terry, meanwhile, is consistently attacking the body before going to the head. With 10 seconds left, he cracks Marshall with a hard right. But Marshall manages to catch him flush with a punch, and Terry drops as the bell signals. MMAjunkie.com scores the round 10-9 for Terry, though, for more effective striking.

Round 3 – Terry emerges in the final frame looking no worse for the wear despite the hard shot he took. In fact, he’s back to his old plan, jamming in on Marshall with jabs to the body and shots upstairs. Marshall closes for another shot, but he doesn’t have it. Instead, he grabs the back of Terry’s head and attempts to land a knee to the dome, but Terry plasters him with a left. They break off, and Terry closes the distance and ties up on the cage. The two tumble to the canvas, but Terry quickly gets up, and they’re back on their feet. Marshall is turning it up now with his combinations. Terry retorts with hard leg kicks and nearly lands a big head kick. A follow up hook lands big. Terry catches a kick and lands a huge right hand. All of his leg kicks are paying dividends; Marshall has little spring in his step. Terry’s not done, and he leaps forward with a knee and flurry of punches to close the bout. MMAjunkie.com scores the round for Terry, 10-9, and the fight to Terry 30-27. James Terry def. David Marshall via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-26)

ANDRE GALVAO VS. TYRON WOODLEY

Round 1 – Round 1 – Referee Josh Rosenthal gets the first televised bout underway. Galvao and Woodley trade jabs, and Galvao is stunned by a follow-up punch. Galvao shoots prompting a sprawl from Woodley and a haild of short left hands. A body kick lands for Woodley. Woodley advances and Galvao flops to his back with the pressure. Woodley sees what’s happening and quickly backs off. Galvao throws a sow right hand and punch. Galvao flops down again and Woodley makes him pay for it with another flurry of punches. When Galvao rights himself, he’s on wobbly legs. He dives forward in a desperate attempt to get the fight down, but Woodley catches him with a hard right hand followed by more short punches. Before you know it, Rosenthal is waving the bout off. Tyron Woodley def. Andre Galvao via KO (strikes) – Round 1, 1:28

CHAMP SARAH KAUFMAN VS. MARLOES COENEN

Round 1 – Coenen misses with a low kick as the two meet in the center of the cage. Coenen fires down a straight right and hook to follow, but both fail to land. Kaufman fires back though, and when she does, Coenen catches her with a nice counter. Coenen with a leg kick. Coenen charges forward with a hard right, but it’s blocked. Kaufman fires back, but neither lands anything in a subsequent exchange. Kaufman takes a few leg kicks. Coenen misses on the approach with a one-two and eats a punch. Kaufman ties the action up, and the two wrestle for position against the cage. Coenen breaks off with an elbow that lands. They trade knees against the cage. The referee separates them, and they’re back in the open. Coenen winds up and lands a two-punch combination before driving the fight to the cage. They lock up again and trade knees. Kaufman is now working for a trip takedown but struggling with Coenen’s underhook. Audience is not fond of clinch war. Again, the referee separates, and they’re back in the open. Coenen with an sides leg kick. Kaufman attempts to retort with a punch, but no dice. Kaufman misses with a one-two. But she lands in two follow-up combinations as the round comes to an end. MMAjunkie.com scores the round 10-9 for Coenen.

Round 2 – Coenen tags Kaufman with a right hand, but Kaufman counters with a couple of well-timed counters. Kaufman charges in and the two lock up. Coenen attempts a hip toss, but Kaufman drives the action to the cage, and the two exchange knees from the clinch. Audience boos yet again. After a few more moments of knees, the referee breaks them up again. Coenen gets tagged with a counter right after a one-two. Coenen misses with a hook. Kaufman takes a kick to the body en route to locking the action up against the cage. But it doesn’t appear that she’s using the position to take the fight down; instead, it’s mostly a clinch war punctuated by knees to the body and thigh. Coenen wisely goes high with a knee that lands flush to Kaufman’s head. Boo birds are out in force tonight. Referee listens and breaks them apart. Kaufman charges with a combination, but no dice. Coenen with a straight right. Kaufman drives forward and gets hip-tossed by Coenen. But Kaufman takes top position and begins to work ground and pound. Coenen immediately uses her long legs for an armbar attempt, but Kaufman powers out of it. MMAjunkie.com scores the round 10-9 for Kaufman.

Round 3 – Kaufman goes with a jab after a few moments. Coeene nails her second takedown attempts of the evening, but once again, Kaufman reverses and lands on top. Coenen throws up a triangle attempt, but Kaufman’s ready for it. Kaufman postures up and fires down punches to the body. More follow-up hammerfists land to the head, and Coenen throws up an armbar attempt. It looks like Kaufman tapped, but when the referee separates them, Kaufman is protesting the decision. The two meet in the center of the cage, and Kaufman is not happy. Coenen tries to console her and gets an icy stare. Replays show Kaufman clearly tapped several times, and it’s official. There’s a new women’s welterweight champion. Marloes Coenen def. Sarah Kaufman via submission (armbar) – Round 3, 1:59 to become new Strikeforce women’s welterweight champion

GESIAS “JZ” CAVALCANTE VS. JOSH THOMSON

Round 1 – “Big” John calls the co-main event, and we’re off. Cavalcante forward with punches but stops short at the cage. Thomson goes high with a kick that’s blocked. Cavalcante jamming in. He catches Thomson with a kick and ties things up at the cage. A couple of hard knees for the Brazilian. McCcarthy warms Cavalcante for holding the fence. They break off, and it’s Cavalcante stalking forward. Cavalcante misses with a hughe left hook. Thomson with an inside leg kick. Cavalcante tags Thomson with a punch and grabs a guillotine in the transition. It’s deep, and it looks like Thomson is going out. Cavalcante squeezing the choke as hard as he can, but somehow, Thomson is surviving. After a few tense moments, it’s clear that Thomson has the space, and he starts pounding Cavalcante’s sides. Cavalcante is forced to give up the hold, and the crowd goes nuts. He postures up and fires down a few shots. Cavalcante ties him up, and works for a triangle. Thomson pulls out of it, but Cavalcante has still got a hold of his arm. Thomson escapes and manages to segue into an arm triangle choke as seconds on the first round tick away. This time, Cavalcante survives, and we’re on to the next round after an exhilarating first frame. MMAjunkie.com scores the round 10-9 for Cavalcante.

Round 2 – Cavalcante stalks forward again and ties the action up against the cage. The two wrestle for position against the cage. Thomson working knees to Cavalcante’s legs. They trade position against the fence. Cavalcante tries to muscle Thomson down to the mat in the clinch, but Thomson quickly rights himself. Thomson gets a trip takedown and lands at Cavalcante’s back. Cavalcante works to control Thomson’s arm as the former champion attempts to position himself for the choke. Cavalcante is warned for holding Thomson’s gloves. Thomnson briefly grabs an arm triangle, but Cavalcante quickly scrambles and regains half-guard. Thomson is working to free his leg. But he gives up the move and instead stands over Cavalcante with a few shots as the round comes to an end. MMAjunkie.com scores the round 10-9 for Thomson.

Round 3 – Thomson misses with a kick and charges forward with a takedown. Cavalcante blocks it and charges back, and the two are once again locked against the cage. Thomson nearly drags Cavalcante to the ground, but the Brazilian defends. He succeeds on the second attempt, and Cavalcante takes mount in the ensuing scramble. Thomson ties up Cavalcante’s torso and manages to regain half-guard. He then takes guard and locks Cavalcante up in “mission control” using the opportunity to pump the audience up. When Cavalcante adjusts, Thomson pops back up and stumbles back to the canvas as Cavalcante surges forward. Cavalcante throws down punches overhead and eventually moves into Thomson’s guard. Thomson briefly considers a guillotine choke, but he doesn’t have the position. Cavalcante works to pass, but against the cage, that’s a tough proposition. Cavalcante turns the two to face the middle of the cage, and he attempts to land punches from up top as the round, and bout, come to an end. MMAjunkie.com scores the round 10-9 for Cavalcante. Josh Thomson def. Gesias Cavalcante via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 30-27).

CHAMP NICK DIAZ VS. K.J. NOONS

Round 1 –
Referee Josh Rosenthal calls tonight’s main event. Diaz leads with a leg kick, and he’s already got a few words for Noons. Noons lunges with a punch and misses, and the two reset against the cage. Diaz pesters with a few kicks. and Noons attempts to go to the body. Noons scores with a jab. Diaz replies with one of his own. Noons follow up combo misses. Noons with a lead left hook. Diaz drops Noons with a counter and lands in side contra.. Already, Diaz is a much different fighter than the one who met Noons nearly three years ago. Diaz appears content to hang out in side control, applying shoulder pressure to Noons’ head. Noons attempts to work free, but struggles under the BJJ black belt’s weight. Noons kicks off and manages to right himself after a mighty struggle. Noons misses with a jab, and catches a right hand. Diaz turns up the punch count and throws a head kick. Noons jabs forward as Diaz challenges him. Diaz with a jab. Diaz gets his combinations going but nothing lands. Noons back with a power punch. Noons lands two to the body. Diaz peppers away with a few punches. Another combination keeps Noons from getting inside. Noons with a jab. Diaz is talking to him. Diaz does a little shuffle in the final seconds of the round, and Noons attempts unsuccessfully to make him pay with a big hook. MMAjunkie.com scores the round 10-9 for Diaz.

Round 2 – Diaz fakes a punch. The two paw out with jabs. Diaz with a few flimsy high kicks. Noons gets inside with a body shot and a cross to the head. Now Noons is talking to Diaz. The challenger lands another combination. Diaz replies, but Noons is landing the power shots. Diaz dives for a takedown and gets mostly air. Diaz misses with a combination and eats a punch in return. He’s bloodied. Noons with another digging body shot. Diaz paws away with jabs and a leg kick. He lands a kick to the body. Noons leaps in with a knee. They trade leg kicks. Diaz with a power combo of punches, but he eats a shot to the body in return. Noons swinging wildly for the knockout. Diaz lands a glancing right hand. Noons attempts to reply. Noons blocks a kick attempt. Noons swinging wildly for the knockout. Diaz lands a glancing right hand. Noons attempts to reply. Noons blocks a kick attempt. He’s trying the strategy of the first fight: get in close and land big. Diaz, meanwhile, is punching down at his foe and trying to be first. Noons lands a knee to end the round. MMAjunkie.com scores the round 10-9 for Noons.

Round 3 – Noons meets a Diaz takedown attempt with a knee, and Diaz backs off. Noons pursues Diaz with body shots. They trade shots to the body, then they trade hard jabs. Noons goes to the body. Noons is swinging wild again. Diaz paws forward with jabs and looks for a big straight right. Noons ducks away, though, and resets. Diaz is now stalking forward and juts his jaw out for Noons. Diaz’s jab punishes Noons as he moves backward. It’s now a war of attrition, now, and it appears neither man is ready to capitulate. Both men’s faces are bloodied. They trade leg kicks. Noons looking to counter under Diaz’s jab with a right uppercut, while Diaz wants to come back with a big right hand. Noons is slowing a bit, but he’s still firing big punches. Both men landed significant strikes, but Diaz’s punch count gives him the round in the eyes of MMAjunkie.com, 10-9.

Round 4 – They trade leg kicks to get round 4 started. Diaz lands a punch combo as Noons attempts to close. Noons badly wants to get inside. He lands an overhand right to Diaz’s dome. Diaz replies with a combination. Diaz is now trying to control Noons’ head as Noons gets inside. He’s taking some serious shots to the body in the process. But he’s unfazed, and he continues to answer Noons with a busy jab. Noons is throwing his best at Diaz and can’t seem to stop him. They men are absolutely destroying each other’s body. Diaz switches it up and locks in the plump, but he can’t seal the deal with a knee to the head. Noons turns it up with an attack to the body. Diaz grabs his head in the next advance and lands a knee to the head that sends the crowd into a frenzy. It’s amazing these guys are standing up. An axe kick from Diaz prompts some laughs from the crowd. The round ends with Diaz’s jab. MMAjunkie.com scores the round 10-9 for Diaz.

Round 5 – Noons bounces as the final round gets underway. They trade leg kicks. Diaz almost gets a single leg when Noons slips, but Noons scrambles away. Diaz does high with a kick after a missed punch combination. The two lock up and hit each other with short punches that prompt laughs from the crowd. But Diaz is serious; he pops Noons with a jab to break off. Noons misses with an uppercut and Diaz thinks about a takedown as the two lock up against the cage. Noons lands with a lunging right hook. They lock up against the cage, but Noons wants to break off. He pushes Diaz backward and lands a big right hand. Diaz ties the action up, but Noons again breaks off. Diaz with a spinning back kick. Same story as before: Diaz paws away as Noons comes in with the power shots. They lock up again and and throw short punches. Diaz attempts to end the position with a knee. They’re toe-to-toe trading shots in the center of the cage. Diaz’s knee is missing at the end of combinations. Noons keeps coming with punches as the round comes to an end. MMAjunkie.com scores the round 10-9 for Noons, and the bout 48-47 for Diaz. Nick Diaz def. K.J. Noons via unanimous decision (48-47, 49-47, 49-46) to retain welterweight title.

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